Reflection on Psalm 46:10

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 46:10: Be still and know that I am God. Recently my spiritual director shared the Hebrew translation of this scripture given by a theologian speaking at her Community meeting: “You have been holding onto something for far too long. Let it fall.” In our binary way of thinking,…

Song for Autumn

Song for Autumn In the deep fall don’t you imagine the leaves think how comfortable it will be to touch the earth instead of the nothingness of air and the endless freshets of wind? And don’t you think the trees themselves, especially those with mossy, warm caves, begin to think of the birds that will…

Kinship with Place

A recent trip to the Sierra Nevada mountains included two remarkable experiences with place and kinship—and together with two longtime, ongoing experiences led to a deepening awareness of kinship with place. Only recently learning of the ancient bristlecone pine forest, this trip offered a chance to meet these beings inhabiting parts of the Sierra Nevada…

Imagining Peace in Times of War

These are difficult times. Events unfolding in the Middle East are unimaginably horrific. How do any of us imagine a way forward from the terrible violence we are witnessing now, and how do we find a new way that does not perpetuate more terror and pain? I have returned to a poem by Denise Levertov…

Moving On

Recently the ongoingness of my life journey has become clearer. I have become aware of some wide patterns I seem to live, one in particular. Throughout my life I have enjoyed “moving on”—I start an adventure/experience, dig into the learning and practices, become knowledgeable and/or somewhat proficient; and then something new will catch my attention…

My Tour of Prairie & Woods

Recently I was treated to a late summer tour of Prairiewoods by Aaron Brewer, the Land Sustainability Coordinator. The weather was perfect, with clear skies and a lovely mix of late summer heat and autumn light. We rode in the “Mule,” the all-terrain vehicle that I’ve often watched Sister Nancy Hoffman drive fearlessly over the…

Spiritual Nourishment

From all the studying and seeking and praying, I have learned that the more I learn, the less I know about spirituality. I evolve to a point where I think I know something, then I learn something else, and I evolve again and again. This is the spiral of spiritual evolution. My beliefs will be…